Beep. Beep.
The phone barely rang twice before Lu Cheng picked up. "Hey, Kai. Calling at this hour? Don't tell me you got caught playing on your phone during the school activity and the teacher busted you?"
He opened with a lighthearted jab.
This secret trip across the continent had not been easy to arrange.
For the past few days, both of his parents had been away on separate business trips, leaving Kai home alone for about four days. When Friday came, his school was organizing a two-day, one-night field trip to Suzhou. Kai told his parents he had signed up, relying on his friends to cover for him.
It was a grand deception.
Situations like this had come up before. Kai had always been responsible and independent, with a perfect track record, so his parents never worried. But they had no idea that this time, their son had gotten himself into a massive mess.
Kai knew he couldn't keep up the lie. He ripped the band-aid off in one go—better to get it over with. "Dad, I ran off to go racing. I'm in... Maranello, Italy."
Lu Cheng: ...
A beat of silence. Then, two.
After the blank, Lu Cheng's voice exploded. "You said you're WHERE?" He immediately realized his volume and forced his voice down. "Didn't you just sneak off to Hangzhou? How did you suddenly end up in Europe?!"
"Isn't that a bit of a leap? You've got some serious nerve!"
Kai's eyes widened. "How did you know about Hangzhou…?" (In truth, there had been a street race in Hangzhou this same weekend, but Lorenzo's prize money was better, so Kai had taken the bigger gamble.)
Lu Cheng snorted. "You brat. You really think you can escape my sight? You think you're so smart? You tidied the living room, even leaving a few fake 'messy' details to sell the lie. Did you really think that would fool me?"
"You forgot about the dust. The lack of it gave you away immediately. I could tell no one had been home for at least two days. If I hadn't come back early and cleaned up, your mother would have seen it and..."
His voice started to rise again, but he slammed the brakes, forcing it back down. "And Italy? How? You're unbelievable! How did you even get there? Don't tell me you forged our signatures."
Kai winced on his end of the line. "That summer camp in July... the embassy gave me a one-year, multiple-entry visa."
Just four months ago, his school had organized a summer trip to Europe, taking the students to Italy to see the ancient Roman sights. It had been Kai's first time leaving the country.
Lu Cheng couldn't believe his ears. He sucked in a breath. "Let me tell you, you are in deep trouble. When your mom finds out... I can't save you."
He stopped mid-sentence.
"Wait. Maranello? You just said Maranello. What's going on in Maranello...?"
As a racing enthusiast, how could Lu Cheng not know that name?
But Lu Cheng's words cut off. The other end of the line went dead silent. Even the sound of breathing disappeared.
The hair on the back of Kai's neck stood up. A terrible premonition washed over him. He spun around, but there was no one behind him.
That left only one explanation.
His heart suddenly hammered in his chest. "Dad..." he said slowly, "are you at the garage, or are you at home? Mom's still at the office, right?"
No response. The silence was so complete he thought the call had dropped.
Then, a voice came through the receiver. It was slightly tired, a little tense, but still retained a clear, sonorous quality, like pearls falling on a jade plate.
"What's this about Maranello? Who are you talking to? Is that Kai?"
Kai shook his head frantically. "Dad, don't—no... Dad..."
Lu Cheng's voice came back, sounding entirely too bright and cheerful. "Kai, your mom's here. You can talk to her."
Kai: No...
But it was too late. That pleasant, sonorous voice was already speaking. "Kai, didn't you say you were coming home today? Around what time will you be back?"
Crap. It was over. The sky was falling.
Jiang Mo. Kai's mother. A lawyer.
Over the years, whether it was karting or helping at the garage, Jiang Mo had never tried to stop him. She wasn't a "tiger mom" who controlled every aspect of his life. Even when Lu Cheng mortgaged the house to support Kai's training, she hadn't opposed it. But she was a woman of firm principles and unyielding bottom lines.
She was willing to let Kai try different things, including extracurriculars to broaden his horizons; the summer camp had been her idea. Her one bottom line was his education. It could not be treated as an afterthought or, worse, ignored.
In this family, Lu Cheng handled the small decisions. Jiang Mo handled the big ones.
Even thousands of miles away, Kai instinctively straightened his spine. He knew that with his mother, honesty was the best policy. Trying to pull a fast one would only lead to a far more brutal outcome.
"Mom, I'm in Italy right now..."
Jiang Mo froze. The answer was completely unexpected.
But only for half a second. She instantly shifted gears. "Are you okay? Are you safe? Are you in trouble? You're not hurt, are you?"
"If something's wrong, call the police first. I'm contacting the consulate right now."
Her first reaction wasn't anger, but worry.
Kai felt a wave of guilt. "No, I'm fine, Mom. I'm okay, everything is safe. You don't need to worry."
Jiang Mo let out a soft breath, the tension leaving her. She looked up at Lu Cheng with an questioning gaze.
Lu Cheng immediately threw his hands up in a gesture of surrender: I know nothing.
Jiang Mo didn't respond, her expression unreadable. "So, you're in Italy. Explain. What, exactly, is going on?"
Kai's scalp tingled. He hesitated, wondering if he should tell the whole truth or just a part of it. But knowing his mother's sharp mind, he decided confession was the best path. He obediently explained the entire story, from start to finish, including the Ferrari Driver Academy trial and the contract offer.
Jiang Mo remained calm the entire time, impressively so. She didn't interrupt, just asked probing questions to get every detail, cross-referencing the facts until she had a clear picture. After he had finished, she said, "So, you're telling me, they offered you a contract? To stay there and train?"
Kai nodded obediently. "Yes, that's right. They're going to fax the contract over for you to see. It can't be signed unless you both agree."
Jiang Mo closed her eyes and took a very, very deep breath.
"LU! ZHI! ZHOU! ARE YOU INSANE?! YOU'RE SECRETLY STREET RACING?! AND YOU RAN OFF TO ITALY TO DO IT?! IS YOUR LIFE JUST TOO EASY FOR YOU?!"
The storm had finally arrived.
The an-ever calm and composed Jiang Mo rarely lost her temper, but when she did, it was like an earthquake.
Kai, on his end of the line, was physically trembling. He pulled the phone away from his ear, but his mother's roar still assaulted him, full force.
A Howler from Harry Potter would have been quieter.
The cool, unfathomable driver who had dominated the simulator was gone. In his place was a wilted bean sprout, head bowed, taking the verbal lashing without a word. The look on his face was one of complete and utter despair.
The tirade was a mighty, sweeping torrent. There were no survivors.
It continued until her voice suddenly cut through. "Are you holding the phone away from your ear right now?"
Kai fumbled, snapping the phone back to his ear. "No! Mom, I was just..."
Jiang Mo took another deep breath. The storm seemed to have passed. When she spoke again, her voice was back to its normal, controlled tone. "Lu Zhizhou, I am so disappointed in you."